Pump mechanism



2 sheetssmet 1 l l/v VEN Toes Qfwi/@XAM M. E. LAYNE ET AL PUMP MEGHANISM Uct. 2 1923.

Original Filed Sept. 8. 1920 A @et 2 1923. lAGQAlQ M. E. LAYNE ET AL PUMP MECHANISM Original Filed Set. 8. 1920 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 Patented @ce 2, 1923.

MN E. LAYNE AND SAMUEL N. HALL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; SAID VHALL SSIGNOR T0 SAID LAYNE.

PUMP MECHNISM.

Application led September 8, 1920, Serial No. 408,949. Renewed January 81, 1993.

To all whom it may conce/m:

Be it known that we, MAHLON E. LAYNE and SAMUEL N. HALL, both citizens of the United States,residing at Los An eles, 1n

the county of Los Angeles and tate of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pump Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to pump mecha nism and particularly to the means for securing a' proper lubrication of the bearings for the impellers or drive shaft in the casing of a centrifugal or rotary pump. The invention has for its primary objects; the pro` 'vision of an improved olling arrangement wherein, (1) the several intermediate bearings may be independently lubricated and a proper supply of oil for each bearing insured, (2) aproper distribution of the oil is secured, (3') the oil may be supplied to the pump casing intermittently and at the same time secure a continuous supply to the bearings, and (4) whereby a by-pass is provided at the intermediate 'pump bearing artt ranged to take care of any water and sand which would otherwise assthrough the intermediate bearing. ertain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a partial vertical section and partial side elevation of a portion of a pump equipped with the invention; Fig. 1a is an enlarged detail section through the bottom of one of the oil cylinders of Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is a section on the line IIJ-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section showing the means of supporting the pipe line upon the shaft casing. Fig. 4 is a section .on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line V-V of Fig. 1; and Figs. 6 and 7 are partial vertical sections and partial elevations of pumps provided with modified forms of construction.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is the ontside casing member of a rotary or centrifugal pump; 2 is a portion of the inside cas-r ing member connected to the outside member with suitable webs in accordance -with the practice of the art; 3 is the drive shaft of the pump; 4 and 5 are the pump runners shafty3; 7, 7, 7 are a plurality of cylinders' arranged around the bearing 6 as indicated in Fig. 2, and 8 is'one of the plungers used in such cylinders for securing a feed of oil as hereinafter set forth.

The cylinders each communicate at their upper ends with a circumferential groove 9 and such circumferential groove communicates with the bearing surface 19 between the bushing 6 and the shaft by means of a plurality of perforations 10 arranged in suitable intervals around the circumference of the bushing. The piston I8 of each cylinderv is normally pressed upward by means of a coil spring 11 placed between the top of the piston and the bottom of the cylinder. The cylinders are charged from an oil line 12 leading down from the surface of the ground and provided with alateral passage 13 leading to the groove 9. A'check'valve in the form of a spring pressedq ball 13a serves to prevent any back flow through the passage 13. A suitable feed means (not shown) is provided atthe surface of the ground for forcing oil down through the line 12 and charging the cylinder. the pressure being suiiicient to force the plungers 8 down to the position illustrated, after which the springs function to feed Ithe oil from the upper portions of the cylinders upward to the groove -9 and thence through the perforations 10 to the bearing surface between the bushing 6 and the shaft 3.

In order to support the oil line upon the pump casing the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5 may be used, such construction showing the support of the oil pipe' 12 and also of a pipe 12a for indicating vacuum (the latter having nothing to do with the present invention) held in position by means of the screw 15. After the oil line passes the upper end of the pump casing itmay be bent laterally if desired and carried up along the shaft casing 16 as shown in Fig. 3, which shaft casing is commonly employed in apparatus of this type, to support bearings for the shaft 3 intermediate the pump and the surface of the ground, such construction being one well known in the art. The supporting rings 17 may be employed and are clamped in position between the opposf ing ends of the shaft casing sections as illustrated. These rings can be adjusted circumferentially as desired so that the oil line may be kept straight from top to bottom gg intatte regardless of the rotary adjustment of the shaft casin sections. rlhe oil line might be supporte in a variety of ways other than the one illustrated, but this constitutes alsimple and convenient method of supporting such line.

The foregoing provides for a reliable and continuous feed to the bearing, the arrangement being capable of multiplication to suit requirements where there area number of bearings. Each plunger feeds independently 'of the others so that a uniform feed at a plurality of discharge points is insured. The cylinders may be charged at intervals or continuous pressure may be applied to the pipe line and in either case a substantially continuous feed is secured.' The cylinders occupy a space in the inner pump casing which 1s otherwise not utilized', so that the addition of the oil system requires no modification of the' type of pump commonly used except in so far as the provision of the pockets for the reception of the cylinders is Aconcerened.

Another feature of even greater imortance is that for insuring that there will no circulation of 'water along the bearing surface 19 between the bushing 6 and the shaft. lln a pump of the kind shown there is a pressure at the point 20 adjacent the upper end of the bearing and a suction Iat 2l at the lower end of the bearing tending to cause a downward circulation of water along the bearing. rlhis circulation carries along sand and dirt which, in the course of time, cut out the bearing causing friction losses and requiring a replacement of the hearing. 'llo avoid this circulation the lay-pass passages 22 are provided ex tending from the annular recess or chamber 23' at the top of the bearing to the space above the runner at the bottom of the bearing. These passages 22 being relatively large and unrestricted at their end divert any water and sand which enter the recess 23, so that such sand and water will not pass up along the surface 24 into the annular recess 25 and thence down along the bearing surface 19 between the bushing ti and ithe shaft, but instead will pass directly down through the passage 22. 'llhe supply of the oil through the perforations 10 also tends to prevent the injurious circulation along the bearing as heretofore referred to, slnce there is a counter presure of oil up ward and downward from the perforations 10 tending to prevent any circulation of water. rll`he supply of oil intermediate the ends of the bearing'therefore involves a decided advantage and in connection with the lay-pass feature renders the bearing practically free from. any requirement of replacement vthroughout the' life of the pump. This 4feature of protecting the intermediate bearing of a pump may or may not be Afor feed of oil from the top of the cylinder to the groove i-n the wall of the bushing, such grove in turn communicating with erforations 31 leading to the bearing sur ace of the bushing. A somewhat different type of plunger 32 is illustrated, such plunger being forced up by the spring 33in the same manner as in the other type of construction. Oil is fed to the cylinder through the passage 34 connecting to a suitable oil line supply pipe (not shown). ln this form of construction the casting 35 which carries the cylinders is separate from the main pump casting 36, the two castings being held together by means of suitable bolts 37; This arrangement provides for convenient access to the cylinders. A passage 43 is provided here to permit pump pressure to be applied behind the plunger to counterbalance the pressure on the front of the plunger and to permit the escape of liquid to the rear when oil'is admitted to force the plunger to its-starting position as illustrated. A. similar expedient is ernployed in the other types shown, the cylinders all opening to the space above the lower runner as indicated at 11a (Fig. 1)`

in the bottom of the cylinder 7 of the Fig. -1 construction, Athus 'facilitatin the. operation of the spring plunger an permitting the drainage downward of any sand or dirt which. maylind entrance to the cylinders. The operation of the device is the same as that described in connection with the construction of `Fig. 1.

`lFig. 7 illustrates still another modification in which the drain passages 38 are placed in the bushing 39, instead of in the pump casting. These pasages lead into the annularA chambers d0 and t1 in which any sand entering has an opportunity to settle and descend through the drain passages. Oil is supplid from the cylinders 42 as in the construction of Fig. 1.

What we claim is:

1. The combination with a pump casing, an impeller or runner, and a drive shaft, of a bearing in the casing, a cylinder and plunger in the casing, a spring for causing relative movement between the plunger and its cylinder to expel vthe contents of the cyly inder, a. communication for supplying the oil expelled to the bearing, an oil line for conducting oil under pressure to the cyllll@ inder to compress the spring and charge the p amonio to prevent a back iow of oil therethrough. 2. The combination with a pump casing,

an impeller or runner, and a drive shaft,v

bearing in the casing, a plurality of sets of cylinders and plungers in the casing, a spring for each cylinder and plunger for causing relative movement thereof to expel the contents of the cylinder, communications for supplying the oil expelled from each cylinder to a bearing, a supply communication leading to each cylinder provided with a check valve, andmeans lfor supplyin oil under pressure to said last mentione communications to charge the cylinders and compress the springs.

4. ln combination in a pump, having an limpeller or runner and a drive shaft, an intermediate bearing for the shaft and the impeller, a by-pass paralleling the bearing and communicating with the same spaces at the top and bottom as those at the ends of the bearing, and means for supplying lubricant under pressure to the bearing intermediate the ends thereof.

5. In combination in a pump having a pair of spaced impellers or runners and a drive shaft, a bearing between the impellers, a by-pass to the side of the bearing extending through the pump casing from a point above one runner to a point below the other runner and communicating with the spaces at the ends of the bearing, and means for supplying lubricant under pressure to the bearing intermediate the ends thereof. y

6. In combination in a pump having a pair of spaced impellers or runners and a drive shaft, a bearing for the shaft between the impellers, an annular chamber in the pump casing adjacent one end of the bearing, a by-pass extending from such chamber to the space above the next impeller, and' means for supplying lubricant under pressure to the bearing surface of the shaft intermediate the ends of the bearing. 7. In combination in a pump and power transmission construction including, a drive shaft and impellers, of an externally threaded bearing for the shaft, a pair of shaft casing sections threaded upon the bearing with their ends in opposition but spaced apart, and an oil pipe, supporting fixture provided with a flange adapted to be clamed between said opposing casing ends.

8. he combination with a pump casing, an impeller or runner and a drive shaft, a bearing in the casing, a cylinder in the casing alongside the bearing,a plunger in the cylinder, a communication from one end of the cylinder to the bearing, a spring for pressing the plunger toward the outlet end of the cylinder to expel the contents thereof, an oil line for conducting oil under pressure to charge the cylinder and compress the spring, and a check valve in the oil line to prevent a back iiow of oil therethrough. v

9. The combination with a pump casing, a plurality of runners or impellers and a drive shaft therefor, a series of bearings in the casing, a cylinder in the casing alongside each bearing, a plunger in each cylinder, a communication from one end of each cylinder to the adjacent bearing, a spring for pressing the plunger of each cylinder toward the outlet end thereof to expel the contents thereof, an oil line for conducti ing oil under pressure to charge the cylinders, a communication from the cylinders to the oil line, and a check 'valve for preventing a back flow lof oil from the cylinders.

l0. The combination with a pump casing having a chamber, an impeller or runner, and a drive shaft, of a bearing in the casing, a cylinder and plunger in the casing, a spring for causing relative movement between the plunger and its cylinder to expel the contents of the. cylinder, a communication for supplying the oil expelled to the bearing, an oil Iline for conducting oil under pressure to the cylinder to compress the springA and charge the cylinder, and a check valve in the oil line to prevent a back flow of oil therethrough, a communication being provided between the cylinder to the rear of the plunger and said chambers.

11. The combination with a pump casing, an impeller or runner, and a drive shaft, of a bea-ring in the casing, a cylinder and plunger in the casing wlth the axis thereof vertical, and with the cylinder opening downwardly to errnit drainage, a spring for causing relative movement between the cylinder and plunger to expel the contents of the cylinder upwardly a communication for supplying the oil expelled to the bearing and means for charging the cyllnder above the plunger and compressingthe spring.

12. The combination with a pump casing, an impeller or runner, and a drive shaft, of a bearing in the casing, a cylinder and plunger in the casing, a spring for causing relative movement between the plunger and its cylinder to expel the contents of the cylinder, an outlet and communication from the cylinder whereby the oil expelled from rio the cylinder is conducted to the bearing, and means for charging the cylinder with oil through seid outlet.

13. The combination with a pump casing having n chamber, an impeller or runner in said chamber, and a drive shaft, of e bearing in the casing, yen oil cylinder and plunger in the casing, a spring for causing reletlve movement between the plunger and its cylinder to expel the contents of the cylindex', a communication for supplying' the oil expelled from the cylinder to the bearing, an Aoil line for conducting oil under pressure to the cylinder to compress the Menem end communicating with the spaces at the 25 ends of the bearing.

- M. 1E. LAYNE.

S. N. HALL. 

